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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 17 days

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Blinken: US urging Israel to investigate airstrike that killed World Central Kitchen workers | Reuters

Washington has urged Israel to conduct a swift, thorough and impartial investigation into an Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen charity in Gaza, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.

Blinken arrived in Paris for talks with senior officials including President Emmanuel Macron hours after the Washington-based NGO was struck by an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza, adding pressure on Washington to toughen its stance in the war between Israel and Hamas.

"We've spoken directly to the Israeli government about this particular incident. We've urged a swift, a thorough and impartial investigation," Blinken told reporters at a press conference in Paris, adding that humanitarian workers have to be protected.

"These people are heroes, they run into the fire, not away from it," he said of the NGO workers killed in the strike. "We shouldn't have a situation where people who are simply trying to help their fellow human beings are themselves at grave risk."

But Blinken stopped short of directly condemning the attack, unlike his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne. Speaking alongside Blinken, Sejourne voiced France's "firm condemnation" of the Israeli airstrike.

"Nothing can justify such a tragedy," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the airstrike was unintended and tragic, and the military pledged an independent inquiry.

Biden faces pressure from foreign partners, human rights groups and some of his fellow Democrats in Congress to impose conditions on arms transfers to rein in Israel’s offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza where health officials say more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians.

"The killing of these employees – and so many U.N. and other aid workers – is unacceptable. Enough is enough. There must be an immediate and independent investigation," Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen said.

Hours before the Israeli strike on WCK workers on Monday, Reuters reported that the Biden administration was considering proceeding with an $18 billion arms transfer package to Israel.

Asked if incidents like the killing of WCK workers made the United States think twice about its "flood of weapons" to Israel, Blinken did not address the specific question but said all U.S. arms transfers happened consistent to policy requirements.

"From Day One, we have worked to impress upon Israel, the imperative of protecting civilians, of adhering fully to international humanitarian law, to the law of armed conflict. That is something that we are looking at and review on a regular basis," he added.

CRITICAL MOMENT IN UKRAINE

Blinken was due to hold talks with Macron later in the day. "You can sense the Americans are a bit uncomfortable at the moment," said one French diplomat, pointing to the contrast between Washington's humanitarian efforts in Gaza and its supply of weapons to Israel.

Earlier in the day, Blinken said Ukraine was at a critical moment in its war with Russia and urgently needs more Western support, bemoaning the stalemate in Congress over a multibillion-dollar military package for Kyiv.

"It is absolutely essential to get Ukrainians what they continue to need to defend themselves, particularly when it comes to munitions and air defences," he told reporters.

"It's another reason why the supplementary budget request that President (Joe) Biden has made to (the U.S.) Congress must be fulfilled as quickly as possible."

Biden has urged the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives to endorse the military and financial aid package, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has held up the matter for months, citing domestic priorities.

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radiokathryn-if · 7 months

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How would the ROs react if in relationship stage MC accidentally introduced them as their husband/wife while talking to someone?

Nate, unsurprisingly, corrects you in the next breath. Not only is his image of being engaged to Eva in jeopardy with that statement but it makes your 'relationship' waaaaay too serious for him. He does it harshly too and if you take offence there will be an argument and shouting match subsequently.

The smile on Eva's face would start small and keep growing all day! She gets a warm feeling in her tummy and gazes at you softly, which does nothing to deter the other person from the truth. She takes it in her stride and goes with it, letting herself imagine that it was true, just for a moment──that the ring on her finger from Nate had actually been from you.

Mica doesn't react, in fact adds to your slip up casually. They step closer to you (if they weren't already right next to you) and take your hand in theirs. Or maybe they'd silently take the thing you were holding or slip your bag off your shoulder and over theirs. They give the other person a wide and kind smile and say nothing.

Detective Han freezes up, poor thing. Their face doesn't change but it looks like their chest has stopped moving, stopped breathing. And they have──they're holding their breath for your next words so that they don't have to stumble over theirs. They wait for you to correct yourself, slowly relaxing if you do. And if you don't you might have to get them out of there quickly or they might actually pass out. Intimidating my ass.

José will grin cheekily and wink at the other person. They'll very obviously over exaggerate the connection between the two of you, spinning a tall tale about your star crossed romance and how you gave up a life of money and stability just for them and their love. Will not let you live it down. If you actually get married they'll bring it up in their vows or the speeches.

Ji Han goes with it for your sake. He doesn't want to embarrass you if he doesn't have to. He introduces himself afterwards with a subtle nod to his new title and takes charge of the conversation to steer it elsewhere as soon as possible. Will use it against you when you least expect it. Whispers his new title in your ear during sex to catch you off guard during a climax kind of tease.

Fauve's eyes will go wide and she'll turn to stare at you in shock. She's actually speechless for once. The other person takes this shock and misreads it as you accidentally proposed right in front of them. They're cheering and drawing a crowd. Fauve is still staring at you, jaw hanging slightly as she tries to reboot her brain. Her heart leaps at the thought, and once it's registered she's all smirks and playful winks complaining about where her ring is. Get to it MC!

Jackson takes it in his stride. You'd have talked about marriage with him before, mainly what it was like for him and what he thought of it after going through a divorce. He settles on thinking that conversation was still fresh in your mind for some reason and that's why you introduced him as you did. He politely corrects you with a kind smile but his hand on your back as you walk away from the other person doesn't go unnoticed!

??? will straight up blush! They become a flustered mess making the two of you look like a freshly married couple who's still in the frustratingly adorable stage. They don't bring it up after you leave, or like ever again, but it's a staple memory in your relationship now.

#radio kathryn if #all ros #c: nate nicks #c: eva vidal #c: mica hollens #c: detective han #c: josé danger #c: ji han #c: fauve #c: jackson lewis #c: ???

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vyorei · 2 months

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#free gaza #free palestine #gaza strip #irish solidarity with palestine #palestine #gaza #news on gaza #al jazeera #boycott israel #israel #USA #Antony Blinken #Chris Van Hollen #donald trump

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originalleftist · 1 month

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Blocking US weapons to Israel "on the table".

Now, this is a statement from a Senator, not the White House, and Biden has recently made clear that a total ban on arms shipments is not on the table (he specified maintaining the Iron Dome, which is a defensive system).

But this does underscore that America's support for Israel is NOT a blank check for Benjamin Netanyahu to do whatever he wants.

#Gaza #Israel #Palestine #Rafah #Netanyahu #Senator Chris Van Hollen #Politico #Arms Shipments #US #Biden

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tomorrowusa · 5 months

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What's gone underreported since the October 7th terrorist attack which started the Israel-Hamas war is that extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have increasingly been attacking Palestinian residents there.

The US is now taking action against violent settlers.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said in a Sunday interview he was “pleased” to see President Biden announce he would take measures to more forcefully combat settler violence in the West Bank, specifically noting his suggestion for a restriction on travel visas. “I was pleased to hear the president say what he said, and I fully support the president’s plan to restrict visas from people who have a record of violence against innocent people,” Van Hollen said in an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.” “I think that’s an important first step,” he added. Van Hollen’s remarks come as many Democrats have increased calls for the White House to focus more on the loss of life among innocent Palestinians as the war continues in the region.

This settler violence is not new. But settlers are taking advantage of the distraction in Gaza to ramp up their savagery.

“Extreme settler violence against Palestinians has been an issue for a very long time. We’ve seen a huge spike in extremist settler violence since the Gaza war started, as people have been focused on the war there,” Van Hollen said.

As of Thursday, over 120 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in settler-instigated violence since October 7th.

The West Bank Israeli settlers have been the biggest impediment to Israel-Palestine peace for decades. They are mostly religious fanatics and ethno-nationalists who believe Israel should have the same boundaries it had 3,000 years ago. Though there is also a segment of opportunistic settlers who are there because far-right Israeli governments had promised them cheap housing and land in the occupied territories.

The far right in Israel as exemplified by Bibi Netanyahu and the Hamas Islamic extremists had been strange allies – until October 7th. Both oppose a two-state solution and implicitly favor their own versions of the "from the river to the sea" implied genocide.

I hope the decades-late sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers by the US will send a clear signal that encroachments on Palestinian land will not be tolerated.

As for those who claim that Israel has a Biblical right to the West Bank and Gaza: Get a life! There's nothing like religious fanaticism to inflame a conflict. Hamas is not the only group of fanatics motivated by religious radicalism in the region.

The US has recognized the right of Israel to exist since its inception. I support that. But using the Bible as a blueprint for 21st century geopolitics is no more legit than using it as a science textbook.

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topperscumslut · 5 months

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y’all according to buzzfeed i got way more artist messages on spotify wrapped than most ppl so y’all should rb this and put in the tags who all y’all got messages from cuz im curious

#jon cozart #taylor swift #olivia rodrigo #conan gray #peter hollens #big time rush #fall out boy #hot freaks #nickelback #yung gravy #mitski #sabrina carpenter

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cosmamoon · 2 months

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Wait would Miryo Swap Kiki be a missing person. Since she literally never stops being Zurka.

Do you think Gigi wonders why her big sister went missing and where she is now. Do you think this makes Xenon knowing WORSE because he knows exactly where Kiki is but also that she's well and truly gone. Do you think Rachel wondered if the 'Kiki going missing' and 'Zurka showing up' had anything to do with each other in middle school but tried not to think about it too hard. What if I exploded

#styt #styt au #Miryo Swap AU #Kiki Hollens

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djdejong · 1 year

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Na een dagje dutten even hollen in het bos, dag 1203

En natuurlijk lekker pootjebaden en een ontspannen zandbad nemen.

View On WordPress

#bos #Natuur #zand #hollen #lekker #dutten

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theivorybilledwoodpecker · 2 months

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#palestine #israel #gaza #chris van hollen

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arctic-hands · 1 month

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I woke up too early this morning and when I turned on the news to have something to fill the pre-dawn void, the local CBS News was playing some haha point at laugh at the Millennials and Gen Z'ers who still need help from their parents in this economy piece. Seeing as I'm well aware of stagnate wages, in/shrink/greedflation, and our abysmal safety net, this stupidity pissed me off.

So I switched to CBSN because it's been a while since I watched national news.

The biggest story on this American national news station was Kate Middleton. This annoyed me because it's such a stupid non-issue in general, let alone to someone living in one of Thirteen Original Colonies.

So I pulled up Al Jazeera English for something else to hear about

(Local CBS and CBSN are the only local/national news I can watch because I don't have a rabbit ear thingy for my smart TV and their combined news app is free on roku, as is the AJE app so that's what I use to watch international news)

And I'm not saying Al Jazeera is perfect, but their biggest story of the morning was the on-going genocide America is complicit in.

Spot the difference

#the state of American news media is abysmal #tho apparently i missed yesterday's Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan #where my senator Chris van Hollen called out netanyahu for lying about UNRWA

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agentfascinateur · 1 month

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Restore funding to UNRWA

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Senator Van Hollen needed to inform his colleagues who took slander at face value. He only omitted that UNRWA was created because the Israeli occupation was shirking its legal obligations as caretakers of the Palestinian population. I hope Van Hollen runs for the presidency as my 2nd favourite Senator.

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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Ultrawealthy Americans enjoy so many ways to avoid taxes that Gary Cohn, former President Donald Trump’s director of the National Economic Council, once wisecracked, “Only morons pay the estate tax.”

On Monday, a group of four Democratic senators urged Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to crack down on a host of specially-designed trusts and financial vehicles that allow the wealthiest individuals to shield their personal fortunes and pass down massive inheritances tax-free.

The letter, from Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen, and Sheldon Whitehouse, laid out a series of potential IRS regulations that would make trusts, particularly, less attractive as tax shelters for the 1%.

“Billionaires and multi-millionaires use trusts to shift wealth to their heirs tax-free, dodging federal estate and gift taxes,” the senators wrote. “And they are doing this in the open: Their wealth managers are bragging about how their tax dodging tricks will be more effective in the current economy.”

Only about 0.1% of Americans pay estate taxes, despite thousands of families having fortunes larger than the current $25.48 million exemption.

When President Joe Biden promised on the campaign trail to raise taxes on the richest Americans, it unleashed a race to set up the kinds of legal tax shelters that would protect their inheritable assets from the estate tax.

They feared Biden would lower the estate tax exemption — which Republicans under Trump had raised to its all-time high — and resuscitate proposed IRS rules that make it more difficult to use trusts to avoid taxes on substantial inheritances.

But Democrats dropped their plans to raise inheritance taxes early on in the Biden administration. And in their letter, the lawmakers argued there is far more the IRS can do to crack down on the “shell games” the ultrawealthy use to shield huge generational wealth transfers from taxation.

Popular schemes they highlighted include families using special vehicles, called family limited partnerships, to understate the values of their estates; placing assets that will rise in value, such as a stock portfolio, inside a tax-shielded trust before the price can rebound; and cycling stocks and other assets through a grantor trust to avoid inheritance taxes.

The current economy, where stocks have lost double digits in value, actually supercharges some of these tax shelters because they shield appreciation from taxation.

“As the richest Americans celebrate and take advantage of these favorable tax opportunities, middle-class families struggle with inflation and Republicans threaten austerity measures and the end of Social Security and Medicare,” the lawmakers wrote.

They argued that the Treasury Department could crack down on these tax-avoidance vehicles without action from Congress.

It can revoke a rule that currently exempts transfers between grantors and grantor trusts from taxes, and it can require grantor trusts to hold a minimum value so they would be less useful as a pass-through for avoiding taxes. And it can clarify and rein in the kinds of asset sales and valuation practices tax planners have abused to wedge their clients’ enormous estates into various tax-shielded trusts and partnerships.

“Although the details of various trusts may differ, the result of wealthy individuals transferring millions in assets to heirs tax-free does not,” they continued. “The ultra-wealthy at the top of the socioeconomic ladder live by different rules than the rest of America.”

#us politics #news #huffington post #2023 #tax the rich #tax the 1%#tax the wealthy #janet yellen #department of treasury #sen. elizabeth warren #sen. bernie sanders #sen. Chris Van Hollen #sen. sheldon whitehouse #irs #internal revenue service #estate taxes #tax shelters #biden administration

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radiokathryn-if · 4 months

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Hola amigo (amiga). It’s me again. I’m in class, slaving away my life and with my newfound brain juices, I decided to spend it on something worthwhile like expanding your own brain juices.

The ROs decided to play Monopoly (because that’s where brain power works more effectively). Who loves it, who hates it, how do they play, and who ultimately wins against one another? Also, have a good day (or night depending on when this is.)

Hello friend! Just for you and your slaving brain power, I shall gift you with a little bonus!──long answer! +I just finished cooking(&eating) supper so it has indeed been a good night lmao, I hope you have one too! ++I may have way too much fun trivia about monopoly just rattling around in my head, so I apologise if I start rambling! +++also! I'm acting as if they're all playing together... which would never happen but is still fun to think about!

Which little mascot token thing do they choose/get/fight for/end up with?──in 1972 there was only: the shoe, the hat, the dog, the iron, the car and the boat... so I've added more such as the thimble, the lantern (retired in 1950) and the rocking horse (retired 1950)

NATE──is picky and also very narcissistic, he has to pick first and he always gets the dog (a yorkshire terrier!) because it's "objectively the best one" no one really objects because they don't want to deal with his whining.

EVA──she always gets the lantern. when she's not at the table to claim it first, it's gets set aside for her. unlike with Nate, everyone else lets her have it because she simply asks nicely. Eva just thinks it's pretty─she calls it her good luck charm! (she has a nice winning streak!)

MICA──does not care for their token at all, and is usually the last to gain it, often getting the one no one went for or wanted... which mostly ends up being the iron... Mica thinks it's rad though so they don't mind!

DETECTIVE HAN──doesn't really play board games and is subsequently a bit slow to the battle royale of the token picking... they end up with the shoe because it's only of the only two left and they'd rather not pick the iron...

JOSÉ──they're not going down without a fight! they are pretty competitive, especially when it comes to board or card games─curtesy of their many siblings─and they will bargain for the token of their choosing... which is the the thimble... but they usually lose out to Ji Han, in which they fight Fauve for the boat!

JI HAN──he wins the thimble from José but he only goes for the thimble if the the plane is gone and considering its the one token lost to the void, well...

FAUVE──she watches José and Ji Han fight it out for the thimble with glee and then when José sets their sights on her and the boat its quickly wiped away... she knows when to take her losses and resigns the boat to them after she can feel a ten minute debate forming, leaving her with the car!

JACKSON──used to picking last when playing board games, though most times Cilly just gives him a token she seems fit... he'd end up with the hat (a top hat!) because even though he doesn't particularly care, he's still quicker than Mica or Detective Han to scoop up one of his favourites!

???──they like most of the tokens and are usually the first to pick, in actuality, they're the one who set aside the lantern for Eva and make the dog easy to see for Nate to claim 'first' after which they swoop in and collect the rocking horse! much like Eva, the token is a bit of a good luck charm for them─the only time they've ever gone bankrupt was when they were playing with the boat instead!

actual game play! who loves it, who hates it, who's winner and who's a sore sore loser baby?

Nate says he likes monopoly but he is quick to change his mind as soon as he loses his money... honestly, if he didn't fixate on the money side of things and strategise like i know he can he'd probably give Eva, ??? and Ji Han a run for their money! (sore sore loser, losing loser baby, sore loser baby)

Like most things outside of her personal life, Eva stays winning. She loves strategy games and she's very good at interpersonal tactics (and she doesn't get greedy or blind sided by fake money.) She's on a winning streak... but there are a couple that give her a run for her money! (somehow she always manages to get one or both dark blue's on her first circle of the board...)

The ever unbothered Mica could honestly care less about monopoly──that is to say that they get surprisingly intense around two thirds in! Something about monopoly specifically ignites the competitive fire under them. They're strangely protective of the train stations and the utilities. They always somehow end up going bankrupt though, and sell out to Eva or Ji Han (or ???) depending on who can give them the most appealing sales pitch... Mica just likes hearing what they'll come up with!

Detective Han is a baby at playing board games... that aren't chess or checkers that is. The first time they play they're too caught up in the rules to realise all the spaces are slowly being taken up. The next time they buy every space they land on and were the first to go bankrupt so quickly in a while! They're a bit of a rules lawyer but have since mellowed out to enjoying the game without getting worked up about losing.

José is competitive and they love a classic board game. Playing with their siblings, they're known to be one of the winners more often than not... playing with the other ROs? That's a whole different ball park─a whole different weight category! Especially with brilliant players like Eva, Ji Han and ??? (when they're in the mood to win)! José can admit when they're out of their depth but that doesn't mean they aren't going to go down without a fight. They're the most... involved player, often propositioning places or money with literally anyone if they can see it coming out advantageous for them. (Not many of their propositions are accepted, though some are for the sheer audacity and the entertainment value they bring!)

As opposed to his older sibling, Ji Han is actully quite well versed in the ways of the game... Given that he's only played it while half drunk in university halls at 3 in the morning while they wait out for a 5am lecture... playing it with the rest of the ROs is only a little different. (that and he plays with a clear mind and thus remembers the rules and can get into the manipulation tactics!) He's won almost as many times as Eva has, and it's usually the two of them as the final two! He's a gracious loser, even if he's a bit of a show off winner (that's mainly spurned on by Eva's taunting and the final overcoming of her as an opponent.)

Fauve has a competitive streak in her, but it's mainly for bragging rights. She actively tries hard to beat at the very least José and then sets her sights on Ji Han. (The sexual tension between them when she does is quite, palpable... if the teasing barbs and lingering looks are anything to go by) She has yet to win over Eva though and is hedging her bets on a team up with The Trio as a means to an end. (She loves the bragging rights... is winning bragging rights over Eva in monopoly of all things super important? Yes. She already reigns supreme in Uno, this is the next step in her bragging rights empire!! She's up for the challenge!)

Jackson is an easygoing run of the mill average player. He's used to going easy at these kinds of games since most of his experience playing them is with his daughter and her friends... That being said, Jackson is an excellent banker! He's very strict about the money, especially after they found out that Nate was sneaking money when he would designate himself as banker! He bankrupts quite early, but his heart nor his pride is hurt by it, he takes losing like a winner!

Secret mastermind, ???. They're actively the best at playing the game however, they don't have the competitive flare or heart to actively secure more than third place. However, when ??? is in a competitive mood, or a mischievous mood (or just wanting to impress a certain MC or Eva) then all the cards are down and all the bets are off!

bonus round! common team ups!

Eva and ??? are unstoppable when they're both playing together and playing to win! Not that a team up trio of Ji Han, Fauve and José won't give them a run for their money. Nate refuses to team up with any of them, not like they're dropping everything to offer. Mica is a lone island of overconfidence and chilled cockyness... (MC over their shoulder like an angel(or devil) during a poker game...) In a shocking turn of events, Detective Han and Jackson team up as Rules Lawyer and Banker after they declare bankruptcy and are kind of terrorfying to defy... which leads to people trying to loophole their way through the game and providing many moments of laughter inducing entertainment!

lmao i started this at like 8pm... it's taken me like 8 hours to finish and if that doesn't tell you what my mental states been like then idk what will

#radio kathryn if #long post #fun fact monopoly has a 1972 edition (which is the setting of this if!) but it only had a few mascots lmao #another fun fact──monopoly was invented in 1903 but only came to england in 1936!#also monopoly was created by lizzie magie who was in fact a woman #thank you m'lady #all ros #c: nate nicks #c: eva vidal #c: mica hollens #c: detective han #c: josé danger #c: ji han #c: fauve #c: jackson lewis #c: ???

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